Clothing Rules

I get a lot of questions about the appropriateness of certain clothing during certain times of year. When I grew up in Newport Beach in the 1970s, little attention was paid to sartorial rules. But if you grew up on the East Coast, or are a more mature reader, you were raised to obey such dictums as "No white after Labor Day."

In Santa Barbara, where I currently live, clothing edicts are broken all the time. People wear jeans to fancy restaurants and to the theater, and women of all ages run around in workout attire and short shorts. I would like things to be a bit more formal sometimes, but I sure love wearing a tank top and shorts to run errands during the summer.

When it comes to events such as weddings and funerals, though, I think following some guidelines is polite and the right thing to do. For some serious advice on this matter, go here. This link takes you to the Emily Post Institute, a place where etiquette means,  treating people with consideration, respect, and honesty, and being aware of how our actions affect those around us."